Quote Originally Posted by HoustonRaven View Post
He could definitely do it if the engine was removed but no way he's overturning a 2800 lb vehicle.

Ever see those strongman competitions on ESPN? Those dudes have issues lifting up the ass end of a VW Beetle just once. Even they wouldn't be able to overturn a Corolla.
First, it's not 2800 lbs--it's 2390. Second, it's a very different situation to try to pick it up from the side than from the ass end. For an analogy, think of it in terms of a concrete block--it is significantly easier to roll a block pushing against the long side than the short side, because you have a better lever around the center of gravity.

Assuming the COG is on the vehicle centerline, it would certainly not take anymore than 2390/2 = 1195 lbs of force to get it started off the ground. However, it will actually will take less than that, because by grabbing at the siderail of the chassis, he's got some mechanical advantage that he would not have if he were lifting from the point at which the tires touch the ground. In other words, he's getting about 7-8" of work for free. I don't know exactly how much that would help, but it would not be insignificant.

According to wikipedia, the world record for unassisted deadlift is 1015 lbs. While I doubt Upshaw's close to that, I've personally known (and watched) a 220-lb guy who could deadlift 600 lbs. I'm guessing Upshaw is significantly stronger than that.

I definitely would not say it's impossible. I'd go so far as to say it's probably be pretty easy for him with the engine/tranny out...